Chapter 65 (First published on Jinjiang Literature City)
Chapter Sixty-Five
Lin Rong was chatting and laughing with her friends when suddenly the sound of footsteps crunching through the snow came from the courtyard gate.
She instinctively turned around and looked towards the threshold.
The dilapidated lanterns hanging from the eaves had long since gone out, and the faded, old red gauze cloth was blown about by the wind and snow, falling onto Pei Zan's shoulder like a patch of long-dried black blood.
Lin Rong stared at the tall, elegant man in black, her almond-shaped eyes narrowing, and she was momentarily unable to move.
Despite his ethereal beauty and refined demeanor, Lin Rong could still discern Pei Zan's displeasure and anger from his silent and indifferent expression.
The horrific memories of Yumen Village from the past swept over Lin Rong again. She remembered splashes of warm blood on her face and the strong smell of blood that filled her nostrils.
Looking at Pei Jiashu leaning against Yang Feng's chest, she felt somewhat at a loss and hurriedly reached out her hand, saying, "Yu Nu... come into Mother's arms."
Before Lin Rong could take her son, another pair of fair and jade-like hands had already taken his place: "Let me hold him."
Pei Zan calmly took Pei Jiashu. Holding his son, he stood beside Lin Rong, uttering no words of death order, nor did he draw his sword to harm anyone.
Lin Rong's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled down inch by inch. She glanced at Pei Zan in confusion, but in the end, she didn't dare to provoke him and didn't ask anything.
The moment Pei Zan entered the room, he saw the panicked look on his wife's face... Lin Rong subconsciously curled her palms and took a half step back. This defensive action inexplicably elicited a mocking sneer from Pei Zan.
She said she wasn't afraid of him, but that's clearly a lie.
Lin Rong's avoidance caused Pei Zan a sharp pain in his chest, as if his heart were being stung by a bee, with venom seeping into his body, causing a boiling, throbbing pain in the blood vessels and meridians of his limbs.
Strangely enough, Pei Zan, who was never afraid of being stabbed in the flesh by swords and spears or pierced by arrows, could feel intense pain in his heart from Lin Rong's horrified look and a little unease, as if she were his bone and his blood, intertwined with him, and inseparable in life and death.
Pei Jiashu had no idea what his father was thinking. He only felt that there were a lot of people coming tonight, the courtyard was very lively, and Uncle Yang was a very nice person who even gave him candy!
Just as Pei Jiashu took out a packet of milk candy wrapped in oil paper from his pocket, intending to peel one for his father, Pei Zan confiscated the paper bag from the child's hand and returned it all to Yang Feng.
"Yu Nu is at the age where she is losing her baby teeth, and she is afraid of getting cavities, so she cannot eat too much maltose."
As a father disciplining his son, Yang Feng had no right to interfere. He gave a wry smile and accepted the candy Pei Zan offered. "It was indeed my oversight. Thank you for the reminder, Young Master Pei."
Pei Zan stopped responding to him, holding the baby in one arm and using the other hand to grip Lin Rong's wrist tightly with undeniable strength, pulling her to his side.
Lin Rong was relieved that Pei Zan didn't threaten to kill her. It was just holding hands, why would she stop him?
Lin Rong hosted a banquet tonight, inviting not only friends but also some neighbors who lived nearby. When Lin Rong's husband suddenly returned home, all the villagers who had come to watch the spectacle surrounded him, asking him all sorts of questions.
They thought Pei Zan looked familiar, but no one would believe that he was the ruler of Western Wei. They assumed that Pei Zan was just a lowly soldier in the Wei army who had the opportunity to reunite with his wife because the Kingdom of Kucha was about to go to war.
"Miss Lin, your husband is so handsome, no wonder your son is so beautiful too! Indeed, when choosing a husband, you should choose a handsome one, so that the son you have will be as beautiful as a little fairy!"
Upon hearing this, Pei Jiashu glanced at the man with a puzzled expression: "My mother is beautiful too!"
The other person glanced at the birthmark on Lin Rong's face, smiled without saying a word, and assumed that the child had a deep affection for his mother and thought she was beautiful no matter what she looked like.
Having spent many years in officialdom, Pei Zan had long since mastered the skill of "speaking to people in a human way and to ghosts in a ghost way," making it a piece of cake for him to deal with a few common people.
Lin Rong stayed anxiously by Pei Zan's side, afraid that the neighbors would gossip and ask about some taboos, which might displease Pei Zan.
When the emperor is angry, thousands will die. She dared not gamble on Pei Zan's benevolence, and knew that Pei Zan could only show leniency to her and Yu Nu.
Fortunately, today's family dinner went smoothly and there weren't too many problems.
Lin Rong followed closely beside Pei Zan.
Perhaps wanting to please Pei Zan, Lin Rong became more talkative, and her words and actions carried a hint of ingratiation that she herself was unaware of.
Lin Rong looked down at the empty wooden skewer in her hand... It seemed that she herself hadn't expected that Pei Zan would accept her feeding after she had only asked a polite question, and even finished a whole skewer of mutton fat roasted meat.
The banquet ended late at night.
Friends helped clear away the dishes, tables, and chairs, and only after everything was tidied up did they say goodbye to Lin Rong.
The courtyard became deserted, with only Yang Feng still there.
Although Yang Feng knew that Lin Rong doted on her son, he also remembered that Lin Rong had been determined to escape and had a major falling out with Pei Zan. If she had feelings for Pei Zan, she would not have stayed in Kucha for so many years and refused to return to Western Wei to see Pei Zan.
Thinking of this, Yang Feng felt a glimmer of hope and said to Pei Zan, "Young Master Pei, you are visiting so late at night. Have you booked an inn? If not, why not stay at my house for the night?"
Yang Feng knew perfectly well that Pei Zan had his own place to stay while leading his troops to defend against the enemy; he had only returned to the main city because he was thinking of Lin Rong.
However, Yang Feng was worried that Lin Rong didn't want Pei Zan to stay overnight. So, he helped Lin Rong out of the predicament by deliberately extending an olive branch and taking the initiative to entertain Pei Zan, so that Lin Rong could have some peace and quiet.
But Pei Zan was clearly not buying it. He scoffed and lifted his thin eyelids to glance at Lin Rong, as if he wanted to see what expression his wife had on her face.
Fortunately, Lin Rong did not show any joy.
She didn't speak up for Yang Feng and kicked him out of the house.
Pei Zan said coolly, "No need for Young Master Yang to trouble himself. My wife and children are here, and they have a place to stay."
Pei Zan openly declared his sovereignty, his tone chilling and carrying a hint of murderous intent.
Lin Rong realized that Pei Zan was extremely possessive; if she dared to give Yang Feng even the slightest hope, he would dare to draw his sword and tear her to pieces.
Lin Rong didn't want Yang Feng to cause any more trouble, so she could only coax him softly, "Brother Yang, don't you have to go to the market tomorrow morning? Go back and rest early."
Since Lin Rong had already tried to dissuade him, Yang Feng wouldn't make things difficult for her. He gave Pei Zan a deep look and said, word by word, "If anything happens, Miss Lin, remember to call me. I'm in the next courtyard."
Lin Rong gave a vague reply and led Pei Zan out of the courtyard before he could touch the cold sword at his waist.
The snow came a little early this year, and heavy snow fell in the courtyard. Lin Rong also lit the kang bed in her bedroom.
The room instantly became warm.
Lin Rong bathed and changed early, put on a set of undergarments for bedtime, and carried a quilt to the warm earthen bed.
She patted the sun-dried quilt loose, staring thoughtfully at the narrow earthen bed.
Lin Rong used to live alone, and when the earthen kang (heated brick bed) was built, it was only set up as a bed for one person.
She was petite, just the right size to hold a child while sleeping, but the earthen bed was too cramped for a family of three.
When Pei Zan returned to the room with the smelling freshly washed baby in his arms, Lin Rong was still thinking about how to settle Pei Zan.
Hearing the door close, Lin Rong subconsciously looked up.
The father and son had already washed and dressed, and perhaps because they had warmed themselves by the fire in front of the stove, the ends of their hair were not very wet.
Pei Zan helped Pei Jiashu comb his hair into two buns, and then used a red ribbon to tie the two buns into the shape of a rice dumpling. From a distance, the child looked like a boy with a girl's appearance, with a pink face and red lips, somewhat like the Nezha, the Third Prince, enshrined in a temple.
Pei Zan patted his restless son, tossed the child onto the steaming fire pit, and then walked to the wooden table against the wall, poured himself a cup of tea to moisten his mouth.
Lin Rong helped Pei Jiashu tidy up the bed, but her almond-shaped eyes still glanced at the tall and imposing man to the side.
Pei Zan did not comb her hair, but instead took a moon-white silk ribbon and loosely tied it around her neck.
The man stood quietly, a few strands of thick, ink-black hair hanging down from his temples, winding their way down and covering his well-proportioned shoulders and back, adding a touch of softness and softening his chilling murderous aura.
Perhaps sensing that Lin Rong was looking at him, Pei Zan's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and he turned his head to look.
His fingertips were still caressing the earthenware cup, his long fingers playing with the teacup, remaining silent for a long time, as if waiting for Lin Rong to speak.
Lin Rong pondered for a moment before finally speaking: "The house is simple... Young Master, are you really not going to stay in a hotel?"
Pei Zan's expression darkened slightly. After a long silence, he finally spoke: "No need. The Kingdom of Kucha has not been peaceful recently. I am worried about you and your son staying in the main city. I will stay by your side and protect you."
Lin Rong struggled for a moment before explaining, "But I usually live alone at home, and there really isn't a bed for the young master to sleep on..."
Pei Zan stared intently at Lin Rong with deep eyes, "I can squeeze in with you."
Lin Rong endured his complicated gaze and forced an explanation: "The bed is too small. It's already a stretch for me and Yu Nu to sleep in it, let alone the three of us... Maybe I should ask my aunt and the others if they have any spare rooms?"
Lin Rong knew that Pei Zan didn't like Yang Feng, so she didn't force him to stay overnight in the neighboring courtyard.
But Pei Zan was clearly unmoved. He put down his teacup and walked toward a trunk filled with old clothes.
"Do you have any spare mattresses? I can sleep on the floor."
Lin Rong was surprised. She muttered to herself, "Isn't it undignified for a king to sleep on the ground?"
But she didn't dare ask any more questions and helped Pei Zan find bedding.
Pei Zan was not dull-witted; he was intelligent, perceptive, and insightful.
With just a glance, he could guess Lin Rong's concerns.
Pei Zan: "When I am on the march, if I encounter an emergency, I will sometimes sleep on the ground. But sleeping on the ground is nothing."
Since Pei Zan insisted, Lin Rong let him have his way.
Lin Rong got off the kang (heated brick bed), slipped on her embroidered shoes, helped Pei Zan lay out a mat, and then spread out a quilt.
Fearing that Pei Zan might actually catch a cold, she moved his bed closer to the warm earthen bed.
Pei Jiashu found it intriguing to see his father sleeping on the floor and would occasionally look down at him, asking, "Dad, isn't the floor hard? Can you really sleep on it?"
The child is too noisy; it's giving me a headache.
Pei Zan reached out and pressed his son's head back onto the kang (a heated brick bed).
"No, go to sleep. Talk less and don't bother your mother anymore."
Pei Jiashu: "...Oh."
The child grows up with his father.
In order to discipline his son when he was young, Pei Zan did not spoil him blindly. There were times when he would hit his son's hands and be scolded. Therefore, Pei Jiashu respected his father and dared not go against Pei Zan.
Pei Jiashu obediently crawled back into the covers, and after Lin Rong gently patted his back twice, he fell into a deep sleep.
Lin Rong had been busy all day and didn't sleep very well.
She woke up in the middle of the night, and it was still dark. She wanted to get out of bed to get a glass of water.
After Lin Rong finished moistening her mouth and returned to the kang (a heated brick bed), she saw a tall, slender figure on the ground in the blinding snow light outside the door.
Pei Zan always slept very well, never turning over in his sleep. The soft blanket was pressed against his slightly open chest, and he remained in the same position when he was awake as when he was sleeping.
When Lin Rong first shared a bed with Pei Zan, she saw him sleeping peacefully and thought he had died in his sleep.
Lin Rong's heart stirred slightly when she saw the large, bare hand draped over the quilt.
She knew that Pei Zan, when asleep, did not possess any terrifying pressure or dangerous lethality. Even if she touched or manipulated Pei Zan, she would not be harmed by him.
It was the dead of winter, and the weather was cold.
If Pei Zan doesn't cover himself properly with the blanket, he might catch a cold.
Lin Rong hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly and knelt down on the floor.
She carefully took Pei Zan's hand, then pulled over the brocade quilt and slowly covered Pei Zan with it.
Before Lin Rong could pull the covers up, the man who had been fast asleep opened his phoenix eyes in the night.
Pei Zan's dark eyes were unfathomable, as deep as a still pool, and he stared intently at Lin Rong without blinking.
Such a fierce appearance is like that of a ferocious beast drooling over its prey.
Lin Rong was startled, her body stiffened, and she subconsciously leaned backward.
Before she could fall backward, Pei Zan had already twisted his hand and pulled her back in front of him.
The soft comforter on the large bed was pulled back, releasing a rich sandalwood scent.
Before Lin Rong could even register what was happening, Pei Zan had pressed her down into the dark bed and pressed her against his broad chest.
Lin Rong looked down at Pei Zan.
Her five senses were obscured by a chaotic darkness; she was suffocated under the covers and couldn't see anything.
The only sounds in his ears were Pei Zan's heavy breathing and the rich scent of sandalwood.
And the cold, hard fingertips that he used to stroke her lower back.
Lin Rong lowered her head helplessly. She wanted to call out, but then she remembered that Pei Jiashu was still sleeping on the kang (a heated brick bed)... She dared not make any rash moves and could only maintain this awkward prone position for the time being.
Lin Rong was petite, and even though she was next to Pei Zan, she was still completely enveloped by him.
Lin Rong needed to forcefully prop herself up on her elbows, hunching her shoulders and pulling in her stomach...
Only then can he avoid the soft, snowy ravines at the collar pressing down on him.
Before Lin Rong could struggle to get up, Pei Zan asked meaningfully, "Are you afraid I'll catch a cold?"
Lin Rong's breath hitched, unsure of what to say.
But Pei Zan clearly didn't need her answer. The man's two strong arms were already wrapped around Lin Rong's slender waist, pulling her into a tight embrace.
Lin Rong's snow-white skin was soft and covered Pei Zan completely.
She had no chance to escape; she was like a lamb to the slaughter, at Pei Zan's mercy.
Fortunately, the pile of blankets was still gray and damp.
She wouldn't reveal any of her embarrassment, nor would she let Pei Zan know that she was panicked, which would only make him happier.
Pei Zan got his wish and finally had a wife.
He turned Lin Rong's pointed chin and pecked at her snowy neck, leaving a series of deep, crimson kiss marks.
Amidst their intimate whispers and passionate embrace, he found himself satiated and let out a long sigh.
"Young Master..."
Lin Rong felt the wet, slippery tongue tip sucking on her earlobe, with a touch of wicked and wanton biting.
It was like a punishment that was neither too severe nor too mild.
The subtle pain from licking and kissing the earlobe was mixed with a lingering, pleasurable sensation.
Lin Rong was so disoriented that she could barely kneel, her legs buckling and her lower back slumping as she wrapped her arms around the man's waist and hips.
Lin Rong pinned Pei Zan down.
She knew his desires, she knew his intentions.
They also knew that he was indestructible and could even extinguish humanity at any moment.
Lin Rong wanted to cry but had no tears, but she was not as shameless as Pei Zan. She was concerned about Pei Jiashu on the kang and hoped that no matter how much Pei Zan wanted to save face, he would at least leave her some dignity.
But Pei Zan's slender fingers had already untied the ribbons of Lin Rong's undergarment...
He grasped it.
The next moment, Pei Zan's cold hand moved slightly, weighing the gentle touch twice, and he said with heavy malice, "Lin Rong, don't you want to wake Yu Nu up either?"
At this moment, Lin Rong froze. She had a strong feeling that she had let a wolf into her house, and she regretted that she had regarded Pei Zan as some kind and good person.
Pei Zan's fingertips kneaded and rubbed, and his words were low and gentle.
"Lin Rong, do you want me to let you go?"
If there were light inside the bedding, Pei Zan would have seen Lin Rong's pitiful state, with sweat pouring down her face and her almond-shaped eyes glistening with tears.
Lin Rong didn't dare to utter a sound, but Pei Zan still patiently coaxed her.
"Today... your tender gaze with Yang Feng has greatly displeased me. I have no intention of punishing my wife, but I hope you understand."
Pei Zan released his hand, his palm still warm from Lin Rong's heart and filled with the rich fragrance of flowers.
He used the same hand that had teased Lin Rong to stroke his wife's cheek, coaxing her gently.
"Lin Rong, if you wish to gain my favor... what should you call me?"
Lin Rong suddenly understood why Pei Zan's words were so sharp. He disliked her aloofness, and jealousy and resentment welled up within him. He longed for Lin Rong to give him a proper status.
Lin Rong was still lost in thought when, in the next moment, the man's gentle kiss landed on the corner of her lips.
Pei Zan pressed down on the back of her head and forcefully took her tongue into his mouth.
He invaded every soft spot of her lips, forcing her to submit and obediently nestle in his arms.
It was just a fleeting kiss, yet Pei Zan, having tasted its sweetness, developed a sinister and ruthless urge to devour it.
Not content with tasting her saliva, Pei Zan deliberately lifted her skirt...
Lin Rong suppressed a soft moan, her leg bones sweating.
She transformed into a pool of spring water, her eyes also holding a hint of bewilderment.
Just as Lin Rong's breathing became increasingly restrained... Pei Zan withdrew his hand.
Pei Zan's finger bones were dripping wet.
He didn't let Lin Rong taste his flavor, but only intertwined his fingers with hers, sticking together intimately.
Pei Zan asked her in a low voice, "Lin Rong... what am I to you?"
Lin Rong was sometimes burned by fire, and sometimes soaked in ice.
She knew Pei Zan harbored deep malice; if she didn't seek a satisfactory resolution, he could continue committing atrocities.
Sure enough, Lin Rong remained silent, and Pei Zan slightly closed his phoenix eyes, about to take control of her jade-like buttocks again.
Lin Rong's voice trembled almost as she whispered, her almond-shaped eyes filled with tears, "Husband...it's my husband."
"Rong'er, you are such a good girl."
Pei Zan chuckled softly, finally satisfied with her plea for mercy.
The man, moved by kindness, finally agreed to help Lin Rong get it out.
Author's Note: Mwah! This is Friday's update =3=
I'm relieved that I won't disturb the kids. [Let me see]
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